The Value of Play from a Guyana Immigrant Father

Recently, I read an article about Indo-Carribbean immigrants and their belief about play.  In the article, it discusses how parents in the Caribbean require young children to sit still for long periods, be neat and avoid messy play.  Parents in Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent and Grenadines expect preschoolers to write, to dress themselves, to read, to express themselves verbally, to identify numbers and count, to take care of themselves, and be courteous – or display manners.  In the article, they interviewed parents from these countries who had immigrated and lived in the United States for ten years raising preschool children and asked them about the value of play.  Mothers tended to believe that play had academic benefits while fathers sought out play with physical benefits.

As I read this article, I thought about a friend who is from Guyana.  He came to the United States twenty years ago and is raising his five year daughter in the United States.   As I observed the two interactions, I noticed rough and tumble play like egg fight in which they throw plastic eggs at each other or how they threw small balls up and down the stairs.  He limited her playtime and encouraged her to calm down often.  However, I also observed the importance of academics.  He allowed her to use the computer to play educational games on websites like PBS Kids and Starfall. 

My hope is to one day interview him and see how his views of play have changed throughout the year, but for right now, it is not possible.

Here are the questions that I have for him:

1.       What was play like in Guyana? 

2.       What kind of toys did you play with?

3.       What types of things did you play?

4.       Did your parents play with you?

5.       Was there a combination of play and academics when you were younger after school?

6.       Did you play with J. when you arrived in the states?

7.       What was your view of play when you first came here?  Did you think children could learn through play?

8.       How have your thoughts of play changed since you came to the US?

9.       How much time is M.  allowed to play when you have her?

10.   How much time is devoted to academics?

11.   Do you think play promotes learning?  In what ways?

Reference:

Roopanarine, J. & Jin, B. (2012).  Indo Caribbean immigrant beliefs about play and its impact on early academic performance.  American Journal of Play 4(4), 441-463.

Play Time

How has play influenced your life?   Did your parents play with you as a child?

I grew up in a household with two brothers and one sister.  There was always someone to play with and always someone to get in trouble with.  I remember playing "snake" one Sunday after church.  We were probably not much older than this photo.  We had made paper snakes in Sunday School.  My mom was counting money in the backroom while we we were running in the sanctuary with the paper snake.  It was Christmas time and the church was decorated.  Can you see where this is going?  I'm not sure which one of us did it, but someone ran into the tree. CRASH!  The tree fell and the handmade ornaments were destroyed. Needless to say my mom was not too happy, and she was not too thrilled to tell the elderly lady that we wrecked her ornaments.  

My mom was busy while we were growing up. She had cooking, cleaning, laundry etc to do for the family. She rarely played with us.  However, even though she did not play with us, it was not her that I longed to play with us.  It was my dad.  I was jealous of dads that did things with their kids. It was apparent when my uncles would visit. They would be wrestling or playing basketball or going on bike rides with us. Where was my dad? Who knows?  Probably sitting in the living room reading the newspaper or taking a nap.  

Kids desire rough and tumble play.  Normally, you receive this type of play from your fathers.  However, I did not.  To this day as I look for a mate, I look for someone who will play with their children. Play or the lack of play impacts us even into adulthood.